By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM — Nearly one millennium ago, a group of Armenian monks established a hospital outside the walls of Jerusalem to treat victims of leprosy, a chronic disease that was widespread during the Middle Ages. The hospital, known as the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, eventually served the Knights […]
Jerusalem welcomes modern-day knights Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — As a U.S. senator, Chuck Hagel went to great lengths to assure people he was not the “Senator from Israel,” and he seemed surprised when people objected to his remark, “The political reality is … that the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here.” It was never
Did Secretary Hagel have an Israel epiphany? Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — This week’s headlines have featured two separate quarrels of the kind that fascinate policy mavens, even while they cause us simpletons to scratch our heads and wonder who, if anyone, is right. One of them–or actually two separate but closely related quarrels–is of the kind that stirs interest and concern
Red lines and tourist lines Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida — Salam Fayyad was 55 years old when they found him six years ago. “They” are the secretary of state and the European donors who wanted to help the Palestine Authority in its hour of trial but did not want to see their contributions diverted by corrupt Fatah
Fayyad resigned, or did he? Read More »
Middle East
By Gil Lavie King Goodwill Zwelithini, leader of the Zulu nation in South Africa, marked Israeli Independence day along with his wife Queen Thandi at a Yom Ha’atzma’ut ceremony held on Thursday at the Israeli embassy in Pretoria. The King, 64, is the ceremonial leader of the country’s Zulu population, SA’s largest black ethnic
Zulu king celebrates Israel Independence Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Almost lost in the terrible events in Boston is the Obama administration’s dire warning last week that the window for diplomatic success in the Middle East is closing — not on Iran’s quest for nuclear capability; not on the Syrian war; not on sectarian violence in Iraq; not on
Enough with the ‘window of opportunity’ rhetoric Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Aryeh Savir SHA’ALABIM, Israel — Charlie Park, Vice President of Samsung Korea, visited an Israeli Yeshiva at Sha’alabim last week. He was accompanied by a South Korean camera crew. Their objective was to document how students study Talmud at the Yeshiva. Park met with the program directors and with students. The South Koreans have
Samsung exec tours yeshiva to find source of genius Read More »
Middle EastBy Yaakov Lappin Israel celebrated its sixty-fifth year of independence this week, an event that saw millions of citizens head outdoors to hold picnics, barbeques, and parties. As the flags, ceremonies, and fireworks washed over the land, defense chiefs delivered annual speeches, in which they signaled to the nation that while things appeared to be
The Mideast calculus of a ‘small’ terror attack Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Wednesday morning’s news was of two rockets that fell in the outskirts of Eilat. There was no significant damage, but the reminder was clear about the unsettled nature of the Sinai, and the lack of Egyptian control. At the same time, rockets also landed across the border in the Jordanian city
Troubles in Eilat, Golan…and Boston Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release) — The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has noted the recent overwhelming call in the Jordanian parliament for the release from prison of Musa Mustafa Daqamseh, the Jordanian soldier who in 1997 went on a rampage and murdered seven Israeli schoolgirls. The Jordanian parliament’s lower house, which has 120 legislators, produced an
ZOA: Call for Daqamseh’s release underscores Arab extremism Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — If countries were people and Israel was an American, it would begin to collect Social Security in nine months. It would be eligible for a reverse mortgage and only a few years from mandatory withdrawals from its 401k. We’d be talking retirement and watching the grass and the grandchildren
Israel at 65; young, not at all retiring Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Pretense seems to be an important factor in Israeli-Palestinian relations. It’s particularly acute in and around the issue of Jerusalem. Thus many Israeli politicians and their supporters never tire of speaking of the city as “Israel’s united and eternal capital” thereby implying that no peace deal will persuade Israelis to
Baird-Livni meeting in E. Jerusalem fuels Palestinian anger Read More »
Middle EastBy Aryeh Savir JERUSALEM –The Central Bureau of Statistics, in its traditional Yom Ha’atzmaut statistical report about the citizens of Israel, stated that Israel has now 8.018 million residents, almost ten times more the 806,000 citizens in its establishment. The Jewish population stands at 6.042 million (75.3% of the entire population). Israel’s Arab citizens constitute
Israel’s population now 8.018 million Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A hundred meters from these fingers is a border between civilizations. To the east of that border is the “village,” “suburb,” or “neighborhood” of Isaweea. With more than 20,000 residents, the label “village” is misleading, but that’s the term many use. “Suburb” suggests something outside of Jerusalem, but it is
In Israel, it’s us and them and them Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East